The Things Things Say

I drove by an estate sale this weekend on my way to somewhere else. The lawn was littered with jumpy people on a shopping high. In that moment it occurred to me what a strange phenomenon an estate sale really is. Strangers show up to slowly dismantle a life story page by page, bargain by bargain. And just like that, a bowl that was once a trusted partner in birthday cake batter mixing and popcorn movie nights becomes the deal of the century for a stranger at a $1.50 price.

We have all heard the expression “you are what you eat,” but sometimes I wonder if we are what we use, too. I spend as much time with my MacBook each day as I do with any human in my life. My Honda is my favorite rolling escape from reality. I own a set of obscenely expensive measuring spoons, and live in a space riddled with fine point Sharpies. These are just a few of the props on the story of me. To the clueless observer, it doesn’t mean much. To someone who really knows me, it says it all.

What are your daily life staples? And what do you think they say about you?